Paying Vacation Package off with Disney Gift Cards

[ktkerber]

I was planning to go today and buy Disney gift cards from Sam's club to save a little $ on my vacation. So my balance due is around $2900. The gifts are in packs of $150. I don't see anywhere online through MDE to put the cards in to apply the gift cards or payments. Will I have to call Disney and read off the numbers for all of those gift cards? Thats alot of gift cards!!! Do they even allow you to do that?

Thanks!

 

[OZMom]

I had to call all mine in, not because they were gift cards, but because of how I booked my trip. You call and read off the numbers one at a time. I usually waited until my kids were in bed and did 10-15 at a time. I'd scratch them as I read the number to keep track of which ones were already read to the CM. It seems like a hassle, but it was worth the savings to me. Plus while we were waiting for things to process, I got to chat with the CM's and I got some really great tips and advice from them

 

[stayhomemom77]

I've done it right on the website. It takes time since they can only be done one at a time, but I did three in a row and had no troubles. Every time I get a gift card, I make a payment and so far I haven't been cut off.

When you log on to MDE, go to My Reservations and Tickets and your package details should come up. In blue, it should say "make a payment."

Click on that and then click the button for "other amount." Fill in the amount of the gift card in the box next to "other amount."

Hit the plus sign where it says "add a gift card" under the Disney gift card and Disney vacation account. Fill in the gift card amount there in the box provided and type in the gift card number.

After that it should be smooth sailing.

You have to repeat the entire process for each card but after a bit you get pretty quick!

Good luck!

 

[ktkerber]

Awesome!! I was hoping to find a way to do it online. Thanks for the info!!

 

[j's m]

Unfortunately, I'm one of the few that doesn't have a make payment button and will have to add each gift card on the phone. I can't even see what the total is, what the balance is, when payment is due, nothing financial at all. I've tried Chrome, Internet explorer and 2 different computers, nothing shows on MDE.

 

[queenofthehive]

Does this just apply to "packages"? I have a room only and don't see that as an option on MDE. Thanks!

 

[MimiOfTwo]

Unfortunately, I'm one of the few that doesn't have a make payment button and will have to add each gift card on the phone. I can't even see what the total is, what the balance is, when payment is due, nothing financial at all. I've tried Chrome, Internet explorer and 2 different computers, nothing shows on MDE.

You might try setting up a disney vacation account. Then you can add all cards to it and just call them with the account number. I think they enter the account number as a giftcard.

 

[supersnoop]

Does this just apply to "packages"? I have a room only and don't see that as an option on MDE. Thanks!

Room-only reservations don't have an option to make payments online. But payment isn't due until you get there. So, just take the gift cards with you and have the front desk run them.

 

[Marionnette]

Room-only reservations don't have an option to make payments online. But payment isn't due until you get there. So, just take the gift cards with you and have the front desk run them.

But if you do online check in and put a CC on file, your balance will be charged to your CC prior to your arrival. I found that out the hard way a few years ago. It can be very time-consuming to get it sorted out, having a refund applied to the CC and then paying the amount with your GCs at the desk.

So, a little warning: Either pay the balance off on the phone prior to check in for room-only stays, or else skip the online check in process.

 

[ktkerber]

I just wanted to let anyone know who was interested. This did not go as smoothly as I would have hoped. While there is a place to enter gift cards or make payments online, you can only enter ONE gift card. That being said it wouldn't even take one when I tried to enter it. So I had to call tech support and they said if you have more than one gift card you have to speak to a person. Some poor, very friendly cm had to take over the phone all 57 gift cards I had bought. In the future, I will probably buy a few as we go so I do not have sit on the phone nearly an hour reading off gift card numbers. In the end, it all worked out though because I saved enough buying the gift cards at Sam's to save a little over $140 which was enough to buy an extra $150 pack of cards. Those will come in handy for the Alex & Ani bracelet and new ornaments I am planning on buying.

 

[JanaDee]

If you use gift cards to pay for any part of your vacation, make sure you hang onto them. If your vacation is cancelled for whatever reason, the money is refunded to the original form of payment.

 

[dpswift]

Also if you want to pay online you need to book online. DD booked over the phone to get VISA FD. Because of this she had to call to apply the GCs there was always along wait. A few years ago I booked online and it was simple to apply the GCs.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

But if you do online check in and put a CC on file, your balance will be charged to your CC prior to your arrival. I found that out the hard way a few years ago. It can be very time-consuming to get it sorted out, having a refund applied to the CC and then paying the amount with your GCs at the desk.

So, a little warning: Either pay the balance off on the phone prior to check in for room-only stays, or else skip the online check in process.

Hmmm...I did online check in and had a credit card on file and they never charged my card. I gave the lady the gift cards and she happily applied them all to pay off my room.

 

[caitlinS9]

So i have paid off several cruises with gift cards. I have absolutely no guilt calling a CM up & reading the #s off to them one at a time & them entering it in. It is way less of a waste of my time & they are being paid for their time, so I have no guilt. I have also never had a CM give me any sort of attitude when I do this & most of them are very familiar with it.

 

[Flamingeaux]

I booked online and was able to pay using GCs online. The only problem I had was when I put in my first card I forgot to click the "other amount" button so when I applied the payment the amount of payment was more than what was on the card. It locked up that card until the next day. I guess the system flagged that card until an overnight cycle unflagged it.

 

[mmouse1239]

I was under the impression that you could not pay for a reservation with multiple gift cards....I read somewhere that they only accept two forms of payment. Does a bunch of gift cards count as "one form" of payment? I really hope I can do this, as it will help me save. Thanks.

 

[supersnoop]

I was under the impression that you could not pay for a reservation with multiple gift cards....I read somewhere that they only accept two forms of payment. Does a bunch of gift cards count as "one form" of payment? I really hope I can do this, as it will help me save. Thanks.

The initial deposit is limited to two forms of payment, but after that, you can make as many payments as you want.

 

[mkymouse40]

I had no problems paying with 52 gift cards. I did most over the phone with 2 different cast members, but I also paid some on-line. The CMs did not mind at all doing it, I kept apologizing, but they said it was fine.
It was a lot of work, but I saved $130. I will definitely do it again for our next trip, but I won't wait again until 1 day before the final payment is due.

LOVE SAVING MONEY!!